A fearless punter until the very end

By Matt O'Sullivan and James Chessell

December 28, 2005 — 11.00am

AS THE curtain finally fell on Kerry Packer's extraordinary life, corporate leaders remembered a "giant of a man in every respect" whose passion for sport and gambling flowed through into his business deeds.

Yesterday, the titans of commerce cast aside any differences to heap praise on Australia's richest man who engaged in high-stakes moves right to the end.

Just last week Mr Packer was at the centre of a play for the rights to the AFL for five years when his Nine Network trumped Seven and Ten's offer with a $780 million bid - a record for sports rights in this country.

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One of his greatest rivals, News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch, described Mr Packer as one of the country's best media proprietors who was both a lifelong friend and a tough competitor.

"As a broadcaster, he had an uncanny knack of knowing what people across the country were thinking and this finely-tuned antennae made him the best broadcaster the country has seen," Mr Murdoch said.

"He was a man who you could truly say was larger than life. A fierce competitor who was sometimes controversial but at the same time capable of great generosity to people and organisations in need."

Fairfax's chairman, Ron Walker, said his friend of 30 years set himself apart from other corporate leaders because he was a "very bold businessman with a very calculating mind".

"He knew when to buy and when to sell. He sold Channel Nine at the right time and bought it back at the right time," Mr Walker said. "He was a fearless gambler who was prepared to take a punt on his instincts."

Seven's executive chairman, Kerry Stokes, said Mr Packer's feel for the media and business was both "passionate and extraordinary".

The country's second richest man, Westfield chairman Frank Lowy, described his friend as a "giant of a man in every respect".

"In everything he did he thought big and he backed up his ideas with action. He was a great Australian and the contribution he made to his country through a lifetime of hard work was enormous," he said.